But he shook his head with an infectious smile. “Nope. Just good ol’ sassafras.”
“What?” They had to pause the conversation while they ran down the hall and exited to an entrance room that led outside.
“You know, the plant sassafras. I noticed on the way through the lab, in the grow room part, that they had some, because my grandmother, a Cherokee Indian, used to use the stuff all the time for all kinds of ailments. She and her new age freaky friends still believe it can cleanse the blood and fight cancer. I’ve seen it work sometimes. So I ground it up with some saline solution and injected you with it. You know, figured there wasn’t anything to lose.”
He made eye contact with her as she drew him near. “And everything to gain.” Their lips met until Willis yelled at them to get a room and the scientist shouted something unintelligible. Then Maddock fired a shot into the yard outside and Bones separated from Fabi, drawing his weapon.
“Don’t let this go to your head, Bones but it’s good to know you’re good for something other than killing people. That being said, right now I need you to focus on killing people until we can clear a path down to the Sea Foam.”
“Aye aye, Captain.” Bones joined Maddock at the door leading out to the expansive backyard. The two of them crouched on either side of the doorway, reaching out to pepper the yard with rounds when they spotted muzzle flashes. Before long the opposition had been silenced, and Peter gripped Maddock by the shoulder.
“This is where we part ways.” He pointed across the lawn to a rock-lined footpath leading through a landscaped area toward the ocean. “Take that path there until you get to a cliff viewing area, then take the stairs down to the dock.”
Maddock extended a hand. “Thanks for your help, Peter. May your future employment decisions be made with more care.”
The man nodded, pumped Maddock’s hand and disappeared back into the house, where a cadre of zombii was involved in some kind of fracas with another one of Avila’s men. Maddock led his friends through the yard, where they could hear vehicles arriving somewhere on the other side of the house. Maddock didn’t know if they were Avila’s reinforcements, local law enforcement or what, but he decided it was time for them to go, regardless.
The ragtag group made their way down the wooden stairway that zigzagged across the hillside until they came out on a rocky beach. A wooden walkway led to a pier, beyond which the Sea Foam still lay at anchor. They walked out onto the pier, and a short swim later, climbed aboard the boat.
Maddock started the engines and as they rumbled to life, Bones hauled in the anchor, a huge grin on his face as the sun began to set behind him. He paused in his anchor duties to look back toward the cockpit. “You know, Maddock, I have to admit. I think I may have found my true calling with this treasure hunting thing.”
“I’m glad, Bones. But finish with the anchor so we can get out of here before someone decides they need us to answer a few questions.”
Bones nodded and got back to his task while Willis took a seat in the cockpit. “So what happens now? Besides me patching up that shoulder, that is.” He indicated the blood spot on Maddock’s shoulder and opened a first aid kit.
Maddock took out a silver real he’d recovered from the fateful dive.
Willis eyed the coin with a sparkle in his eyes. “Hey, Maddock, you know what that coin’s good for?”
He shot Willis a questioning look.
“A trip to Key West. Remember? You said if we found treasure, we’d stop in on the way back.”
“That’s right!” Bones backed Willis up from the bow.
“Seriously, though,” Willis said, preparing to sew up Maddock’s shoulder wound. “What’s next, after that?”
Maddock smiled as he flipped the real over in his fingers, his eyes taking on a faraway look.
“Maybe we take another run at that treasure.”
End
If you enjoyed Treasure of the Dead, try David’s Jade Ihara Adventures series, beginning with Oracle.
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Works by David Wood
The Dane Maddock Adventures
Dourado
Cibola
Quest
Icefall
Buccaneer
Atlantis
Ark
Dane and Bones Origins
Freedom
Hell Ship
Splashdown
Dead Ice
Liberty
Electra
Amber
Justice
Treasure of the Dead
Jade Ihara Adventures (with Sean Ellis)
Oracle
Changeling
Bones Bonebrake Adventures
Primitive
The Book of Bones
Stand-Alone Novels
Into the Woods
Arena of Souls
The Zombie-Driven Life
You Suck
Callsign: Queen (with Jeremy Robinson)
Destiny (with Sean Ellis)
Dark Rite (with Alan Baxter)
Primordial (with Alan Baxter- forthcoming)
David Wood writing as David Debord
The Absent Gods Trilogy
The Silver Serpent
The Gates of Iron
The Impostor Prince (with Ryan A. Span)
About the Author
David Wood is the author of the Dane Maddock Adventures and several other titles. Under his David Debord pen name he is the author of The Absent Gods fantasy series. When not writing, he co-hosts the Authorcast podcast. He and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at www.davidwoodweb.com.
Table of Contents
Treasure of the Dead
Newsletter
Copyright
Prologue1715, Caribbean Sea
Chapter 1Jacmel, Haiti
Chapter 2Cherokee, North Carolina
Chapter 3Jacmel, Haiti
Chapter 4Cherokee, North Carolina
Chapter 5Atlantic Ocean
Chapter 6Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Haiti
Chapter 7Jacmel, Haiti
Chapter 8Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Haiti
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13Petit-Trou-de-Nippes
Chapter 14Hinche
Chapter 15Petit-Trou-de-Nippes
Chapter 16Petit-Trou-de-Nippes
Chapter 17Petit-Trou-de-Nippes
Chapter 18Cap-Hatien
Chapter 19Sans Souci Palace
Chapter 20Cap-Hatien
Chapter 21Sans Souci Palace
Chapter 22Cap-Hatien
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25Cap-Hatien
Chapter 26Tortuga Island
Chapter 27
Chapter 28 Cap-Hatien
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35Avila’s Island
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Works by David WoodThe Dane Maddock AdventuresDouradoCibolaQuest
About the AuthorDavid Wood
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